Polk Prosecutor Facing Disciplinary Action After 'Offensive' Comments

A local prose­cutor faces discipline for circulating an email to police about sending police dogs to a gathering of community activists, State Attorney Jerry Hill said.

By RICK ROUSOSTHE LEDGER

BARTOW | A local prose­cutor faces discipline for circulating an email to police about sending police dogs to a gathering of community activists, State Attorney Jerry Hill said."Looks to me like a good opportunity for a K9 training exercise," prosecutor Jack Riley wrote in July 2012 about meetings of the Polk Minority Justice Association, a predominantly black group, according to records released to The Ledger this week by the State Attorney's Office.Clayton Cowart, pastor of the Church of God the Bible Way in Winter Haven, heads the organization, commonly called PMJA, and its weekly Thursday night meetings are on church pro­perty. Late this week, Cowart said he was highly offended by Riley's written remark."It's offensive to all black people," Cowart said. He said the K-9 reference immediately sparks memories of what civil rights workers endured in Alabama in the 1960s, with police dogs attacking peaceful demonstrators and marchers.Hill called Riley's K-9 email "a failed attempt at humor." "I have never seen a hint of prejudice in this guy," he said.Cowart said that if Riley's remark was meant as a joke, it was insensitive to black people and in no way funny."That's like saying to a Jew: ‘Hey, why don't we call Hitler?'"The email in question was found and released recently by the State Attorney's Office in response to a public records request Cowart made for all emails containing his name.The office produced a string of messages that also included a PMJA flier obtained by Riley.The flier complained about police brutality and unethical treatment. "We take complaints against state attorneys and local law enforcement," the PMJA publication said.Law enforcement action toward the group already has drawn criticism.The Ledger recently reported that a PMJA meeting in July 2012 was attended by two undercover Polk County Sheriff's Office detectives who pretended to be interested activists so they could spy on the group.Sheriff Grady Judd said that action came after his office received a tip saying the group was planning lawlessness during a rally near the jail. That protest later occurred without incident. The revelation of the action by the Sheriff's Office drew criticism from the group and others.Sheriff's spokesman Scott Wilder said the State Attorney's Office email made public this week had nothing to do with the Sheriff's Office using undercover detectives during the PMJA meeting.Riley's emails were part of a string of correspondence sent to some Winter Haven police officers and a Sheriff's Office detective. The K-9 remark was sent to Michael Leonard, a Winter Haven detec­tive.Winter Haven Police Chief Gary Hester said he had no control over what people send his officers, but said he could control what those officers send. Hester said it appears his officers did nothing wrong, but information technology workers "are triple checking" to make sure.Riley, 50, who has worked as a 10th Judicial Circuit prosecutor since 1987, faces discipline when he returns from an extended leave of absence, Hill said. Citing federal requirements that forbid employers from disclosing details about an employee's health, Hill said he could not divulge why Riley is on leave. But Hill said the leave had nothing to do with the K-9 email.Hill would not say what discipline Riley will receive.Riley handles the intake of traffic fatality prosecutions, including DUI manslaughter cases. He makes $100,272 per year.Cowart said he thinks the discovery of the email is "the tip of an iceberg" for similar discoveries in the criminal justice system."It goes back to what we've been saying all along," he said. "There is a racial component to the system that needs to be acknowledged and evalu­ated."

[ Rick Rousos can be reached at rick.rousos@theledger.com or 863-802-7509. ]